BELLEVUE -- On July 19 and 20, two area beaches will be closed for swimming. The closures are necessary for the application of milfoil treatment.

On Monday, July 19, the swimming area at Meydenbauer Beach Park, at 419 98th Ave. N.E. will be closed for milfoil treatment by the city; on Tuesday, July 20, the swimming area at Newcastle Beach Park, 4400 Lake Washington Blvd. S.E. will be closed for milfoil treatment by an adjacent property owner. Signs will be posted onsite regarding the swimming area closures.

Though the swimming areas will be closed, the remainder of the parks will remain open. The swimming area at Meydenbauer Beach Park will reopen on Tuesday, July 20; the swimming area at Newcastle Beach Park will reopen on Wednesday, July 21.

According to the Department of Ecology, milfoil is considered the most problematic aquatic plant in Washington. Milfoil can drastically alter a water body's ecology and rob oxygen from the water by preventing the wind from mixing the oxygenated surface waters to deeper water. The dense mats of vegetation can also increase the sedimentation rate by trapping sediments. More information about milfoil can be found on the state Department of Ecology website.

For questions about the milfoil treatment, call Rick Bailey with the Bellevue Parks & Community Services Department at 425-452-6031.